Best known for his landscape paintings of the Tasmanian wilderness, Geoff’s second exhibition @ MiCK will focus on the picturesque lake district of Tasmania, Lake St Claire and Cradle Mountain.
‘This has been something I’ve wanted to do for a little while. It’s an area I haven’t explored in depth. It’s trying to tap something within myself to renew my own energy and it’s worked.’
Having drawn influence from his recent trip to France and inspiration from the raw and direct works of Courbet, Dyer delivers an exhibition of paintings fraught with extreme depth, a painterly style that is both mysterious and sublime. Along with the observant and textural paintings of “Lake Country”, Dyer has also included some magnificent fire paintings, a result of the tragic bushfires which swept through Southern Tasmanian in January and as a local landscape painter, were hard for Dyer to ignore.
Dyer is well know for his portraiture, including that of Tasmanian writer Richard Flanagan who was the subject of his winning Archibald entry in 2003. In 2011 Dyer was an Archibald Prize finalist with a portrait of David Walsh, owner and creator of Tasmania’s MONA. Portrait painting aside, his art is infused by the power and majesty of the natural world, witnessing the ancient landscape at the heart of the Tasmanian experience. Over the past decade he has covered the island, from the west coast to the rugged islands of Bass Strait and the dense timbers of the Franklin River.
In recent years his work has become increasingly abstract. Dyer’s ability to extract beauty within a seemingly barren and arid landscape bears testimony to his talent. His paintings are considered wonders of serenity and beauty, presenting a true celebration of Australia’s iconic landscape.
Multi-award winning Geoff Dyer has been a finalist in the Art Gallery of New South Wales’ prestigious Archibald Prize (for portraiture) and Wynne Prize (for landscape) – each 10 times. Dyer’s most recent award was winning The Kings School Art Prize in 2012. In 2012 Dyer was also commissioned to paint a portrait of the previous Tasmanian Premier, Mr Tony Rundle.
The exhibition will be in display from 5th March – 7th April 2013 at MiCK; 44 Gurner St Paddington
